The Council Formed
Chapter 2: The Final Preparations
“Hm…I think I could increase the voltage a little bit more without too much worry. What do you think Quick-Fix?” Nova asked his friend as he analyzed the overlay of his recently created Anti-Invasion Electric Defence or the AIED for short.
Quick Fix looked up from tuning her Modified Automatic and Rapid-Fire Crossbows to answer Nova, all the while looking about for the others that should be around that area.
“What’s the current voltage at?” Quick-Fix asked him while she set about wiping the oil off her face from fine tuning her Crossbows.
“About 60 volts per square inch. I was thinking of uping that to 80 volts instead. Just in case of a greater air force attack.” Nova told Quick-Fix as she finished making her way over to him.
“80 volts could work. Keep it below 120 volts though or nopony will be able to get out of Canterlot easily if they need to. You can still do an instant shutoff at 80 volts can’t you?” Quick-Fix asked while looking over the measurements on Nova’s laptop.
“Yep. I’ll go about increasing the voltage then. How’re your Modded Crossbows coming along?” Nova questioned Quick-fix as he adjusted the values on his laptop.
“Pretty good. They’re nowhere near as powerful, fast, or accurate as the ones that Zuli Archer can use, but they can pump out near 40 arrows a minute for over an hour before reloading them manually, so they should serve some use if it all comes down to a battle.” Quick-Fix breathed as she lamented over just how likely it was that Canterlot would be under siege soon.
“I’d like to say don’t worry, but I can’t. All we can do is our best. Where are the others anyway?” Nova tried his best to distract Quick-Fix from her thoughts, all while his own still mildly festered beneath the surface.
***
“You sure this is gonna work Diam?” Skeptic shouted up to his friend from his place in the center of what could be called the roof of Canterlot Castle.
“Not entirely. Sound manipulation combined with magic has always been a hard area to rationalize or work easily with. If properly done, it’s amazing powerful. If done wrong, it basically does nothing more than normal music will. If anypony is capable of properly doing it though, it’s one of us.” Diamond Bolt called back down to Skeptic as he set about moving the clouds Clockwork and Cream were currently on so that they could continue to fine-tune the current setup for one of Canterlot’s defenses.
“Normally, I’d appreciate the compliment Diam. But right now I need to stay focused. Cream! You think this many speakers is enough amplification?” Clockwork added as she set about adjusting the volume levels on one of the hastily modified speakers of Feather Blaster that Twilight and Cream had earlier duplicated and increased in size.
“I think so. It won’t project as much more than basic music beyond Canterlot’s limitations, but while within Canterlot, it should cause extreme discomfort to the level of actual pain to any enemies that make it past Nova and Quick-Fix’s initial defenses.” Cream explained as she wiped sweat from her brow, this work proving necessary but exhausting.
“So what’ll you need us to exactly then?” Vinyl Scratch called up, her magic amplifying Cream, Clockwork, and Diamond Bolt’s voices so that everypony who was staying on the ground could hear them clearly.
Gathered on the roof altogether were Skeptic, Violet Melody, Vinyl Scratch, Bam, and Octavia. Sweetie Belle had wanted to help as well, but after a stern lecture of the dangers from her band-mates and her older sister, she and the other 2 Cutie Mark Crusaders were currently roaming the Castle below the others.
“To paraphrase, just ‘do your thing.’ Once this is all set up, anytime you start playing music, it’ll be amplified into a weapon we can use against just who or whatever it is Blaze Bringer might set against us here.” Clockwork called down as she finished levelling the sound output on the very last speaker and Diamond Bolt began to lower her and her cloud back down to the ground.
“Very well then. What shall we do in the meantime?” Octavia asked aloud, just as Cream too touched down upon solid ground again.
“I don’t know about you, but I’d enjoy your last few unattached hours and try to find anypony you want or need to,” Diamond Bolt answered Octavia, moving forward and wrapping his wing around Clockwork as he did so. “Speaking of which, has anypony seen the Elements of Harmony or our manager?”
***
“You really think I have some sort of dormant power within me?” Shift asked Breeze Rider, still not entirely certain of the former Wonderbolt’s words.
“I do. I’ve viewed the past of everypony here who I hadn’t previously met, and you certainly have the one that’s hardest to view. Like me, it’s almost as if you had an entirely separate life before Equestria that you don’t remember. You also seem to have a strange energy about you that I can’t define. I can only imagine that your power will reveal itself in your time of greatest need, similar to my gift of Premonition.” Breeze Rider answered Shift as he set about moving forward to greet Fluttershy after yet another practice session with the Elements of Harmony.
Twilight had insisted that she and the other Bearers practice activating the Elements of Harmony near every hour since Princess Celestia had dismissed them and told them to begin creating their defences. In a mere few hours of practice, it now took no more than a few seconds of focus for the Elements to activate, and it took only a fraction of the energy from all of them that it used to.
“How’d practice go honey? Any improvement?” Breeze Rider asked Fluttershy as she and the others exited the room Celestia had told them would be best for practicing with the Elements.
“Twilight says that we’ve doubled the power output of the Elements for only a third of the power we used to use when activating them. She said we should be proud.” Fluttershy answered Breeze Rider, then nuzzled him.
“You think we’re ready for em yet Twi?” Applejack asked Twilight, taking off her hat for a few moments to recoup after practice with the Elements of Harmony.
“I think so. Like Shining Armor told me, the Elements alone aren’t enough to stop everything Blaze Bringer might put against us, but they’re definitely a lot easier and better to wield on our part than they used to be.” Twilight told Applejack, sitting down on her haunches as she did and taking a deep breath.
“Do relax Twilight dear. We won’t be able to use the Elements at all if all of us aren’t in our top condition.” Rarity approached Twilight, hoping to calm her fellow unicorn some.
“I know Rarity. I just can’t help but worry a bit. Is it all going to be enough?” Twilight asked all her friends aloud.
“It will have to be. You can do no more than your best Twilight. If anypony remembers that best, it’s me.” Breeze Rider spoke up, hoping to calm Twilight some just as he had calmed Afterburn so long ago right before the Best Young Fliers Competition.
Twilight smiled at Breeze Rider’s words, and everypony felt the immediate calm Twilight’s smile brought with it.
***
“I don’t like this at all.” Rafiq spoke up from his place in the Guard Tower, eliciting moans from all the other Guard ponies present.
“Seriously Captain Rafiq? When are you going to get over the fact that we need the other ponies here to guard Equestria while we’re gone? You can’t do everything on your own. With all due respect sir.” Peach spoke up, sick of his Captain’s worries but not wanting to offend him either.
“I did not mean that Peach. I am beyond such worries as that now. I’m more worried about our Communications report.” Rafiq answered his Lieutenant, causing Peach and everypony else present to look over at him.
“What do you mean Rafiq? What’s wrong with the Communications report?” Shining Armor asked Rafiq, wandering over to his side to see the report as well.
“We’ve heard nothing from Zebrika recently. Nothing at all. They don’t often send us anything detailed or important, but they’ve always maintained a modicum of Communication with us in every report since we re-established a good connection with them.” Rafiq elaborated, causing everypony to focus all the remaining attention on him.
“Do you think that maybe they’re working with Blaze Bringer? And that’s why they aren’t communicating with us?” Sky Wing interjected, hoping that fear wasn’t overpowering his every rational thought.
“It is a possibility. Or they may have been attacked by him and are unable to communicate because of such an attack. In any case, it is a suspicious occurrence and we should inform Princess Celestia of it. Perhaps we’d best check Zebrika first for Blaze Bringer in lieu of this new hunch.” Zuli added in, looking over the Communications report himself as he did so.
“Let’s go then.” Rafiq called out as he stood up along with the others and headed towards Princess Luna’s chambers, where Celestia had remained since the end of the briefing to the Gathered Defenders.
***
“You are pathetic Garble. You beg worse than the Griffon Gilda did for freedom.” Blaze Bringer sneered at the young dragon that lay defeated near his hooves.
Garble attempted to rise to his claws again, only to have Blaze Bringer step down upon him with one hoof, causing the wind to flow instantly out of the dragon’s lungs.
“Come on…Please…I’ll stop the other dragons for you…” Garble breathed slightly, his words causing Blaze Bringer to apply more pressure to the Dragon’s back.
“The other dragons you say? So you would betray your own race for a taste of freedom from my wrath? You are the same as the worst scum of Canterlot Garble. Even Gilda would only attack Equestria for freedom and not her own race. You disgust me.” Blaze Bringer spat at Garble, his anger boiling at the actions and words of the dragon who had attacked him first.
Even the Dragons had not been able to stop the Sabrei or Blaze Bringer. They had survived a short while longer thanks to their size and power, but they too had succumbed to the overwhelming power of the Helios and his Army.
“There are no other dragons now Garble. They are all part of my Sabrei now. You were the first dragon to fight me, and you are the last to fall. You will get your mild taste of freedom Garble, but only to destroy the Element of Magic and her wretched ‘pet’. That is the freedom I give you.” Blaze Bringer snarled as he pulsed his flames through Garble, only allowing him to rise a moment after he retracted the flames.
“Yes my Master. I apologize for my former insolence. I live to serve your will.” The dragon who was formerly Garble spoke through the Sabrei.
“Excellent. And now my Sabrei, we have but one duty to perform before the destruction of Equestria.” Blaze Bringer smiled to himself as he prepared to head ‘home’, his Sabrei following avidly behind him.
***
The cave had grown far lighter since the removal of Blaze Bringer’s barrier, though Chrysalis could see none of it due to her deteriorating vision from the Celestial Blades’ impalement within her. Eventually though, Chrysalis felt a tremendous yet familiar presence join her within the cave due to her remaining senses.
“Why have you come back brother?” Chrysalis weakly accused what she could not see due to the exhaustion that had spawned after having the Celestial Blade impaled within her body for such a long time.
“I have come back to send a message my dear sister. And fortunately, once again, you are the perfect conduit for what I must do.” Blaze Bringer spoke to the Changeling, preparing to wield his magic once more.
Blaze Bringer’s magic enveloped Chrysalis for short moment, the dark shade of the flames feeling to Chrysalis almost as if they could burn away her very presence. After the short envelope though, Blaze Bringer’s magic receded and Chrysalis felt as though a tremendous weight was lifted from her body.
“What…did you do to me?” Chrysalis asked Blaze Bringer as the Alicorn somehow appeared within her vision again.
“I have removed the Celestial Blade from you. I no longer need bind you and Luna. What fun will burning Equestria be if one of their strongest fighters can’t even move against me?” Blaze Bringer smiled as he burned away Luna’s Cutie Mark from the Celestial Blade and reshaped the blade into that of a Scythe.
“What do you wish from me in return for my freedom?” Chrysalis asked Blaze Bringer as she finally stood upon her hooves again.
“I wish nothing more from you Chrysalis. I have your blood, and your Changelings. What you do with your life now is all up to your own decisions. I simply warn you that should you stand against me in any fashion, I will not hesitate to crush you. Be gone now if you wish to do anything more with your life than rot in this place. I have another message to send.” Blaze Bringer elaborated as he levitated the re-forged Celestial Blade, now re-christened the Celestial Scythe, before him and prepared to wield his magic once more.
Blaze Bringer heard the hurried hooftseps of Chrysalis and felt the gust of wind from her wings as she flew away, but none of it concerned him. Now was at last the time to begin his true revenge.
***
“I trust your beliefs are correct in this matter Rafiq. Zebrika shall be the first place we search for him. Is there anything else of import you wish to tell m-” Celestia began, before a dark echo encased Canterlot, and the remainder of Equestria within itself.
“Greetings Equestria. Though many of you will not understand the reasoning for this message, those that have import to me will. This is Blaze Bringer. I am alive. I am powerful. I am a Helios now. I have conquered Farana, home of the Changelings, Zebrika, homeland of the Zebras, Griffalon, the Griffon’s territory, and Dragaria, the Dragon’s Cove, already. Now I come for Equestria. I come with my Sabrei, my army. We cannot be stopped. We cannot be repelled. All who try such futile acts will be crushed and burned beneath my hooves. I come for Canterlot first, and then for the remainder of Equestria. Make your stand in Canterlot if you will, though it will be a useless endeavor. I have freed Luna from the Celestial Blade and re-forged it. The Blade no longer binds. It simply slashes the souls of those I cut. I will show no mercy to mares, foals, elders, or injured. All will fall. I come in two day’s time. Use that time wisely how you see fit. I won’t keep you waiting. Farewell Equestria. Prepare yourself for my flames.”
Blaze Bringer’s words echoed within Equestria for a time after they fell silent. Once they fell silent, everypony was left alone with their thoughts. After a time, everypony looked to Canterlot as their last source of prayer, their last source of hope. In two days, everypony’s faith was to be tested. In two days, all might end.